Dike Breach Risks of Different Flood Conditions in the Lower Yellow River

Based on the analysis of hanging rivers' actuality in the lower Yellow River and researches related to the evaluation of dike breach risks, it is put forward that the influencing factors of dike beach risks in the lower Yellow River should involve four aspects, the flow and sediment movement, the regional crustal stability, the variation of river regime and the stability of river dikes. With this, the evaluation indexes system of dike breach risks is established, and with the support of geographic information systems technology, the model of multi-hierarchical fuzzy comprehensive judgment is applied to estimate the dike beach risks of the hanging rivers in the lower Yellow River under different flood conditions. The evaluation results of dike breach risks show the following distributing regularities of dike breach risks in the lower Yellow River: (1) Dike breach risks increase with the increase of the flood. (2) Dike breach risks decrease with the changes of river patterns along the channel. (3) There are great risks of dike breach in the wandering reaches, and it is relatively higher in the south bank than in the north in wandering reaches. (4) There is a higher dike breach risk in the north bank than in the south in winding reaches. Simultaneously, the evaluation results manifest that the evaluation indexes system established from the flow and sediment movement, the regional crustal stability, the variation of river regime and the stability of river dikes can represent the actual situation of the lower Yellow River more comprehensively. The application of multi-hierarchical fuzzy comprehensive judgment can preferably resolve the problem of hanging river dike breach, which has numerous influencing factors and complicated functionary mechanisms. The applications of geographic information systems technology with powerful spatial analysis functions make dike beach risks quantificationally displayed in different spatial positions, and reflect the differences of dike beach risks in different spatial positions of the channel in the lower Yellow River.     

Influence of Hydrologic Conditions of the Lower Ob Floodplain on Reproduction in Coregonids

The influence of the water level in the period of the open river channel and the duration of lower floodplain inundation on the feeding conditions, abundance, and population state of coregonids in the Lower Ob was investigated. The long-term dynamics of catches of some coregonid species was analyzed and compared with changes in the hydrologic conditions in the floodplain. The relationship between basic hydrologic conditions in the Lower Ob (water level in the period of the open channel, the duration of the lower floodplain inundation), the coregonid population sizes, the state of spawners, and the size of catches is demonstrated.     

Ecological Segregation of Bustards (Otididae) in the North of the Lower Volga Region: Evolutionary and Adaptive Aspects

Based on the concept of an ecological niche, the processes of segregation in the Lower Volga populations of great and little bustards (Otis tarda L. and Tetrax tetrax L). have been studied in the evolutionary and adaptive aspects. The results have shown that segregation of the ecological niches of the two species occurs mainly on a trophic basis, when bird specialization in the use of food resources provides the possibility of changing the nesting biotopes. Some trophic adaptations are temporary and do not modify a species-specific stereotype, whereas other adaptations lead to the development of new forms of behavior and their evolutionary stabilization. Spatial characteristics (biotopic preference, nest location, etc.) complement the identified hierarchical series of parameters characterizing the ecological niches of the species studied. In the Transvolga region of Saratov oblast, the total sizes of great and little bustard populations in the breeding season reach approximately 4100 and 5900 birds, respectively.